I recently visited some friends in Massachusetts. While I spent most of my time in Boston, I did spend half a day in Salem. One thing I learned is that maybe a Saturday in October isn’t the best time for me to visit this historic Massachusetts town. I will definitely go back, though. If you’d like to know more, you can listen to the podcast episode on Touristinyourtownpodcast.com
There was rain. There were lots of people, although they were all at the other end of this street in this pic.
Salem Street scene
Historic Buildings
The John Ward House was built in 1684 and is considered First Period architecture. The historic Salem home is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The historic John Ward House
The historic Old Town Hall in downtown Salem. The structure was built in 1816-1817.
Old Town Hall
The Pickman House was built in 1664. The home is owned by the Peabody Essex Museum and is not open to the public.
The Pickman House
This clock is attached to the Legends restaurant. I could not find any info about it, so if you know anything, please share!
Fellow travel blogger, Tatiana, runs a Thursday Travel Photo Challenge. This week the challenge is Buildings with Character. If you’ve been following me, then you know I love architecture.
Big cities always have great architecture, but so do some small and medium sized towns.
Providence
Providence, RI has some very unique architecture and is just a beautiful town. This medium size college town is a must see!
The Turk’s Head Building
Asheville
This beautiful Art Deco building is the Asheville City Hall. The small southern town of Asheville, NC has a lot of great character, even in the buildings.
Asheville City Hall
Bardstown
This unique building is the Old Courthouse in Bardstown, KY. The buildings itself resembles a church, but it was built as a courthouse. It is now the home to the local tourism board.
Old Courthouse in Bardstown, KY.
Prints are available of these unique buildings with character, just click on the photo!
In the first blog about Boston, I talked about rain. The first part of my full day there, I walked around Back Bay East, following the Women’s Heritage Trail. As I made my way from Back Bay East to Faneuil Hall Market Place where I was meeting a friend, I found some great photo ops in historic downtown Boston.
Boston Common
I made my way through the massive central park in downtown Boston. It is considered the oldest city park in the US, as it dates from 1634. The park is 50 acres. I found the carousel to be sad and lonely on this rainy day in October.
Boston Common Carousel
Chinatown
As I made my way out of the park, I found myself in Chinatown. Boston’s Chinatown is the largest outside of New York City.
Chinatown entrance in BostonThe Empire Garden was once a movie theatre.
Old State House
I finally made my way to Faneuil Hall but was not able to take pics as it was getting remodeled. From the Marketplace we decided to do some indoor activities as the rain and wind was getting intense. We decided to visit the Old State House. The Old State House was home to the Massachusetts General Court until 1798. It is one of the oldest public buildings in the US.
The Old State House
Thanks for reading about my Boston walk about. Interested in learning more? Visit the podcast to hear about it.
As always prints are available for each of these photos.
I recently traveled to my hometown of Danville, Kentucky. While there, I wanted to get some photos of the places that were important to me when growing up. One of the most important places was the public library. I spent many days after school at this magical place. So, while in Danville, I swung by and took a quick photo.
This is now a small part of the library. But it was the whole library when I was growing up. It did have a lower floor, so it’s bigger on the inside (some of you will get that). When I got home, I uploaded the pic to my Pixels account where I sell prints. Not long after uploading, I received an email from a man wanting to use it as the basis for a charcoal, pen & ink drawing. Of course, I said yes! Because I love nothing more than artist collaborations! So, without further ado, here are the 2 images. Both are available as prints. If you click on the pic, it will take you directly to the page for purchase.
Evelyn Hazen entered college at the young age of 14. She was a young, naive girl, raised by a very proper victorian woman. She falls in love with a man named Ralph Scharringhaus.
Sex
For over 15 years, the two have a relationship. They start having sex early on. She agrees with the promise of marriage. There are several love letters where he talks about when they will get married. But he continually delays marriage with excuses and lies.
The Lawsuit
When Ralph breaks it off with Evelyn, she feels lost and afraid. She is in her early 30s and her reputation is in tatters. So, she files a lawsuit against Ralph for breach of promise of marriage and seduction. Image what it was like for her in the 1930s, to have the whole world know that she had sexual relations outside of marriage. She was embarrassed and devastated. But stood up for herself and did what she had to do. Want to know more? Listen to the podcast on touristinyourtownpodcast.com
Prints of the above images are available, just click on the pics!
I recently traveled to downtown Cincinnati Ohio for an episode of Tourist in your Town, my travel podcast. While there, I managed to capture a few photos. Prints are available, just click on the image and it will take you straight to the page!
Ezzard Charles
Ezzard Charles, also known as the Cincinnati Cobra, was an American boxer and former World Heavyweight Champion. Some say he is the greatest boxer of all time. I don’t know a thing about boxing, so I’m not the one to ask. I do know that this mural is a great tribute to a local hero.
Ezzard Charles Mural
The Skystar Ferris Wheel
This ferris wheel is located right on the banks of the Ohio River. This view is from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati. You can see Northern Kentucky just across the river.
Skystar Ferris Wheel
Empty Warehouse
This image was taken as we walked through the warehouse to enter the underground tunnels on our walking tour.
Inside a local warehouse
If you want to know more about my visit, be sure to listen to the podcast. You can find it anywhere you listen to podcasts. You can also visit the website, Tourist in your Town.
If you are looking for travel photography, be sure to visit my gallery.
On my recent trip to Asheville, NC, I took a walking tour with a company called Hood Huggers International. The tour features the history of African-Americans in Asheville, as well as a look to the future of the community. The tours founder, Dewayne Burton, took me to an area called “The Block”. The block is an area of downtown Asheville that was once a thriving African-American Community. Burton is very involved with his community and is working hard to improve the lives of African=Americans, not just in Asheville but in the United States. He has created a new “green” book that features black owned businesses in Asheville and is hoping to expand the book. If you want to know more about my tour, you can listen to the Podcast here.
I grew up in Danville, Kentucky. Danville is located in central Kentucky, south of Lexington. It’s a small town loaded with history. Of course, growing up, I never paid attention to any of these things. Now, when I go back to visit family, I can’t help but seek these places out. I want to share with you some of the historic places and the places that hold meaning.
Constitution Square
Constitution Square Historic Site was the birthplace of Kentucky’s statehood. The site originally had a meeting house, jail, and courthouse. The cabins currently on the site are replicas of the originals.
Ephraim McDowell House
McDowell House Museum was home of the “the father of ovariotomy”. McDowell was the first to person to successfully remove an ovarian tumor. The story is fascinating. I recommend reading about it. Visit their website for more info.
A shelf full of McDowell’s potions.
Burke’s Bakery
While not technically a historic site, it’s definitely a landmark. Burke’s opened in the 1970s and is still going strong. With donuts, pastries, cakes, pies, cookies, and more, there is sure to something to make everyone happy. I’m a big fan of the gingerbread men. My mouth is watering just thinking of them.
The sign for Burke’s Bakery and Delicatessen
Courthouse
The courthouse was finished in 1862. The Italianate style building was erected to replace the original courthouse, which burned down. The large clock tower can be seen from just about every angle in town.
The courthouse in downtown Danville, KY.
Danville Office Equipment
Another local landmark, Danville Office Equipment has been in it’s current location since 1975. They sell everything from pens to computers. They also have a service department that started out repairing old typewriters, but now offer service for copiers and printers. My father worked here for over 40 years. I worked there for several years myself.
Danville Office Equipment on Main Street
I have been to many small towns in the south. See my Tuesday Trekkin’ blog for just a few of them. Danville is one of the few that still maintains that active hometown feel. Many towns are empty with closed up and shuttered shops and restaurants. It’s great to see a small town maintaining a vibrant, active downtown.
I did a year end review of my favorite and least favorite still life images. As promises here are my favorite and least favorite night images.
Favorite Night Photography
Night photography is my current obsession. As I mentioned in my America After Dark gallery. This image is from the Dragon Lights Festival. There is a color version of this and it’s nice. But I love the way the black and white makes it about the light and dark and highlights the shapes of the flowers and people.
A tunnel of light with people walking through.
A favorite of not just my night photography, but also my photos from Knoxville. The Tennessee Theatre marquee is lit up and people are walking through town. In the lower right corner is a young girl with a pink jacket, she makes this photo for me. I love subtle touches in photos.
Gay Street in Knoxville, TN after dark.
The Chrysler Building takes center stage in this New York skyline photo. I took this from the observation deck on the Empire State Building. I had to squeeze myself in between people taking selfies and some lovers making out. But totally worth it!
New York City skyline after dark. Taken from the Empire State Building, with the Chrysler Building as the central part of this image.
The Daylight Building in downtown Knoxville, TN. I took this while wondering around downtown. I couldn’t find anything that caught my eye. So, I was headed back to the car. And there it was. The single person, the lone bicycle, and the shops all lit up for the night.
The Daylight Building in Knoxville, TN.
Least Favorite Night Photography
It’s not that I don’t like these images but I feel like they could be better.
I don’t like the stop sign or the car in this image. As we were leaving, I noticed a better angle and it’s been bugging me ever since. I think I will have to go back and get a better pic. Also, eat pizza!
Big Ed’s Pizza in Oak Ridge, TN. Big Ed’s has been at its current location since 1970. It’s a local staple and always busy.
I think I might like this better if shot a little closer to sunset, so the 1907 and the outline of the clock could be more pronounced. Yes, I could lighten it but that would produce an unnatural grainy look.
Street Clock in Lenoir City, TN.
Thank you for visiting my most and least favorite list of night photography from this year. Feel free to share your own end of year blogs in the comments below!
Prints are available of all images in my Pixels store. Click here. You can also click on the image and it will take you directly to the store.
My current obsession is night photography. I love to see city lights after dark or small town lights. I never carry a tripod with me, so I shoot with a super high ISO or try to rest the camera on something. I use a Sony A7rII and it is great for shooting in low light with a minimum of grain. Although, I have night photos from around the world, this gallery is dedicated to America after dark.
Knoxville, TN
Knoxville is my home town, so I have lots of images from here. Here are a few.
After dark on Gay Street, featuring the Tennessee Theatre marquee. This is one of my favorites from Knoxville. The Daylight Building after dark. This is a definite favorite. All of the elements are there, the lights, the single person, and a bicycle. The Bijou Theatre Marquee in downtown Knoxville, TN.
New York City
When I visited New York, I went alone. At first, I thought I might be too afraid to spend a lot of time out after dark, especially taking photos. But I got comfortable with it fairly quickly.
The Skylight was my go to breakfast place, since it was just around the corner from my Airbnb. The food was excellent and ambiance was everything a diner in NYC should be.Street scene in New York City, NY in front of the Heartland Brewery and Rotisserie. Looking up at the Empire State Building in New York City. After going up and taking skyline photos and took this as I was leaving.
Want to see more photos from after dark, click here.
Feel free to comment and share your own images of America After Dark.
